Abstract
The purpose of the present study was to evaluate and document the use and efficacy of intensive non-avoidance group treatment for Bulgarian adults who stutter (AWS), to specify that changes are adopted in different speech situations (in the stabilization phase), and to demonstrate that changes are maintained after intensive therapy. Participants were AWS (n=15, 12 males) with an average age of 25.2 years) Bulgarian native-speakers. Twelve participants were University students and three were clients with tertiary education in different areas. All participants were enrolled in First (overall effect) and Second (interim effect) Stages of Intensive Non-Avoidance Treatment for Stuttering. Van Riper's stuttering modification therapy approach was employed; the latter considers a non-avoidance treatment for stuttering. The treatment was conducted in participants' native Bulgarian language. AWS, as a group (n=15), significantly decreased the number of stuttered utterances after intensive treatment; findings were consistent for participants with moderate as well as severe stuttering. Likewise, there was a significant decrease in duration (in seconds) of disfluencies after treatment; findings were consistent for participants with moderate as well as severe stuttering. Eighty percent of AWS used cancellation immediately and six months after treatment, 65% mastered preparatory sets immediately and six months after treatment, 35% exhibited pull-outs immediately after treatment and 55%, six months post-treatment. These preliminary findings were taken to suggest that intensive non-avoidance treatment for stuttering can be successfully employed with Bulgarian adults who stutter. Special focus was on the positive fluency changes that occurred during the course of therapy regarding the duration of disfluencies in seconds, and index of disfluencies.
Highlights
Over the past 25 years, several publications relating to treatment effectiveness for stuttering have been widely-studied by Bulgarian speech-language pathologists(1-4)
The SouthWest University (SWU) intensive program was developed and carried out within the framework of the Evidence-Based Practice project sponsored by the National Science Fund 2009–2012
The present non-avoidance therapy intensive course was the first one in Bulgaria conducted for adults with stuttering
Summary
Over the past 25 years, several publications relating to treatment effectiveness for stuttering have been widely-studied by Bulgarian speech-language pathologists(1-4). In Bulgaria(5) special attention has been paid to evidence-based practice, including the measurement of disfluencies in attempts to evaluate the efficacy and effectiveness of treatment for people who stutter Consistent with these international attempts to improve treatment for people who stutter, Bulgarian logopedists (i.e., speechlanguage pathologists) have begun to adopt new paradigms in their professional practice. The approach focused on objectively-determined changes in adult stutterers’ stuttering that resulted from a non-avoidance treatment program(9) The need for such a study is witnessed by the fact that the Bulgarian health system does not provide logopedic treatment for adults who stutter(5,10,11). To this researcher knowledge, the present non-avoidance therapy intensive course was the first one in Bulgaria conducted for adults with stuttering
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call